Let Down Your Hair
by TealRose320
Summary: Alona Rinfield is a shy, slightly agora-phobic woman trying to make her way in the world of Storybrooke. Henry soon discovers that she is actually Rapunzel, and that Rumplestiltskin has a unique power over her. Can Henry and Emma help her remember her past, her prince, and break Rumplestiltskin's terrible hold over her? Come find out! Please, feel free to R&R !
1. Chapter 1

Another gorgeous afternoon in the kingdom. The sun was hitting the hills just so that it made them look as if they were glowing. A cool breeze was blowing, distributing the crisp air all about the town, reminding everyone that autumn was near. Children were playing, birds were chirping in the distance, and overall, there seemed to be a calm hush over the town. And there was - that is, except for Rupert, and his wife Jolie.

For days, Rupert has searched all around the town for something, anything really, for Jolie to eat. She was very ill, and growing sicker and weaker by the day. It seemed that nothing she ate gave her any strength and stamina. She was always tired, he face looked sunken in, and he skin grew paler by the day. Despite all of that, however, she still remained so cheerful and jovial, and her hope of recovering never weakened. Even when Rupert began to lose hope, she never did. She would simply smile, take his hand, and tell him to stop worrying, often teasing him for fussing over her like a woman. It was far beyond Rupert how she could manage to get so weak, yet be so strong.

This morning, Rupert had bought carrots from the market for Jolie to eat. They seemed to give her a little strength, but only a very, very little. Still though, it was a small victory to watch even a little color return to his beloved wife's eyes. This afternoon, however, Rupert knew that he just couldn't fail her. Jolie looked as if she had been making progress, and he couldn't bare the thought of her leaving him all alone. He knew he had to do something to save her - and fast.

Luckily, Rupert had a solution. He had recently gone to the town doctor for advice, and thought it saddened him to admit that he could not help her, he did know someone who could. One Rumplestiltskin, who lived deep in the forest, and was known to be able to solve even the most impossible of problems. Rupert admitted to the doctor that he had heard of the Rumplestiltskin, but he had also heard that all who went to him paid a hefty price for his services. Still, though he didn't have much money to offer, he would come up with something to pay the price - anything for the life of his wife.

These thoughts and more swam through his head and he patched his large satchel, threw his over his shoulder, and looked at Jolie lovingly. He reached over to her, caressed her forehead, pushing her golden hair out of her eyes. He smiled at her, bent down, and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Jolie awoke from her light sleep to see her husband standing above her, and apparently on the move. Concern dominated her face.

''Where are you off to, my husband?'' she asked.

Rupert met her concerned look and raised it with love.

''To make you well, my darling.'' He said.

She smiled. ''The carrots did give some improvement. '' She rubbed his neck lovingly.

''No, my darling,'' Rupert said. ''What I'm going to get you is far better than carrots.''

Jolie now looked confused. ''Better? What do you mean?''

''That I'm off to find something to make you well.'' With one last kiss on her forehead, he stepped into the doorway. '' I shall return by nightfall.''

Jolie turned her head to him and smile a serene and gentle smile.

''Be careful,'' she cooed.

''Always,'' Rupert said.

Inwardly, he only hoped that he was right. Had he known the hefty price he was about to pay, he would have known that he wasn't right. Not by a long shot.

…...

Rumplestiltskin stood before Rupert in the forest, a gleeful look on his face. He was smiling a terrifying smile, and laughing gleefully.

''And you mean to tell me - that you have something that can save my wife?''

''That's what I said, dearie,'' Rumplestiltskin's tone grew slightly more snippy now. Rupert drew back a bit.

''Yes, yes, I can save your little wife - she shall be well.'' He pressed his hands together now and grew a bit more serious.

''Excellent! Rupert exclaimed. ''Wh- what is it?''

''Why, it's nothing more than ordinary food, just helped along with a little bit of - magic.'' At the word magic, Rumplestiltskin produced a patch of land with the biggest, juiciest radishes Rupert had ever seen. Rupert looked at them with surprise and amazement, while Rumplestiltskin clapped his hands and gave a child-like laugh.

''Amazing,'' Rupert whispered, and he reached out to touch one. Before he got the chance to, Rumplestiltskin slapped his hand away.''

''Ah uh, dearie, you can't get something for nothing you know. That's not how this works. I can give you my magic radishes to save your wife - but- all magic - comes with a price.'' He stuck out each of his index fingers and smiled a wicked smile.

Rupert gave him a desperate look. ''Name your price, and you shall have it. I - my wife and I - we don't have much to give, but -''

''I didn't ask for money,'' Rumplestiltskin interrupted.

''My price would be much more - precious.''

Rupert now looked confused. ''Name it, then. What do you want?''

''Oh, I'm afraid you don't have anything that I want - yet.''

''Well then - how will I pay you? What can I give you?''

Rumplestiltskin smiled yet another wicked smile.

''Oh, I'll find you when it's time to pay the price.''

His smile frightened Rupert, but he was willing to endure it for the sake of the radishes. He opened up his satchel and filled it with as many radishes as it would carry. Rumplestiltskin's grin only grew wider as he watched the desperate man before him fall into yet another devious ploy of his.

''Just remember dearie - all magic comes with a price.''


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT - but if I did, I'd have way too much fun!

Chapter 1 - The One With the Short Blonde Hair

Alona Rinfield shot her head up, causing her golden bangs to rise and land just above her eye. Her emerald eyes shifted around the room uncomfortably, and she twisted her hands inside of each other. To say that she was nervous about having this conversation was a severe understatement. It was the first time she had ever opened up to anyone about it since she met Joy, her roommate, and she didn't really trust much of anyone else. Still, she knew that she needed help, so talking to someone else about this rather serious problem was very much inevitable.

''Go on,'' Archie Hopper prompted.

''Well,'' Alona started. Her voice broke as she spoke and forced herself to tell her story. '' I don't know how it started, really. It's just something I've always had. I just feel like something - bad - something really bad will happen if I leave for too long.''

''I see,'' Archie said patiently. ''so you think that something bad will happen if you're away from your apartment for too long. How long would you say is too long?''

Alona shrugged her shoulders. ''I don't know…maybe an hour or so?''

''And what happens to you if you're gone for longer than an hour?'' Archie leaned towards Alona with a sincere concern.

''I - I kind of - panic. I feel like I have to get home right away; like I shouldn't be out. I - I feel really bad about it.''

''What happens if you don't get home right away?'' Archie prompted patiently.

Alona paused for a moment. Honestly, she had never really thought of it. Just what WOULD happen? After all, Alona certainly wasn't a child anymore, though that was often how everyone treated her. Her fear of leaving the home gave her something of a child-like innocence; an image she would have loved to shed. Still, the more she thought about it, the more she found that, she actually had no answer to Archie's question. Now, the question in her mind was, was that a good thing, or a bad thing?

''I,'' she stammered. ''You know, I - I really don't know.'' She brushed her short bangs back from her face, half in embarrassment, half in relief. She thought a moment longer.

''I just - I don't really know what will happen; I just know that something bad will happen.'' Her shy half smiled held her hope that that would be a good enough answer for Archie. It wasn't.

''But Alona,'' Archie objected. ''If you don't know what your consequences of leaving are, then how can you be certain there are any?''

Alona tossed her head to one side, trying to hide her face with her hair, but alas, the length was too short. She knew she shouldn't have gotten that pixie cut. Oh well. At any rate, sometimes she felt like Archie's purpose was to make her feel silly when they talked - like he was trying to embarrass her. If that was his purpose, it most certainly was working, because that's exactly how she felt now - faced with yet another question that she just plain didn't know how to answer.

''Well, I - it's just that - well -''

''I think that's enough questions for today, don't you, Mr. Hopper?''

Alona and Archie looked up to find Mr. Gold standing in the doorway, a cup of hot coffee in one hand, and his ever-present cane in the other. He held a lopsided smile on his face as he looked at Alona with what appeared to be some kind of affection.

Alona's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

''Daddy! Hi! Geez, I'm so sorry, I just,'' she looked at her watch and realized her session with Archie had run a good bit over.

''I didn't realize I had been here so long, I -''

''Think nothing of it, dear,'' Mr. Gold said reassuringly. ''I'm not angry with you. However, I do need you at the shop today, and when ten o'clock came and went, I thought I might find you here.''

He shifted his cup of coffee to the same hand with the cane, and produced the keys to the shop from his trousers pocket.

''See you there,'' he said softly.

''Yes, daddy.'' She took the keys from him silently, took one last look at Archie, smiling apologetically. Archie gave her an understanding look, and Alona disappeared from the office without a word.

Archie then turned his glance onto Mr. Gold.

''Mr. Gold, with all due respect, you can't just walk in on my sessions with Alona. She was starting to have a major breakthrough.''

''Really?'' Mr. Gold's eyebrows arched, and he placed a challenging look on his face. He stepped closer to Archie's desk in a menacing way, his height seeming to grow with every step he took.

''Because from where I'm standing, that looked like the verge of a break-down. You can't ask her such pressing questions.''

''Pardon me, Mr. Gold, but I do have to ask these sort of questions to get her to see the truth.''

''The truth?'' Mr. Gold spat. He laughed softly, but menacingly. ''And just what is the truth, Mr. Hopper?'' He leaned back on his cane a bit, ready to her Archie's ridiculous, psycho-babble answer.

''Well,'' Archie stammered, clearly threatened by Mr. Gold's proximity, but by no means wishing to show it. ''Simply, that her fears of leaving her apartment are..illusions, providing her a false sense of security.''

Mr. Gold nodded his head sarcastically. ''I see.''

He took yet another step towards Archie's desk, this time causing Archie to somewhat cower in the darkness of Mr. Gold's shadow.

''And what - precisely - is wrong with - a sense of security?''

''Nothing, naturally,'' Archie threw his hands up in surrender. ''But the way in which she's creating her security, it's not real, if she continues to hold onto it, it could be very damaging.''

''Damaging?'' Gold challenged, this time raising his voice a bit. ''Don't you ever call her 'damaged!' ''

''Mr. Gold, I would never say that about Alona, I only meant that -''

''How many children do YOU have, Mr. Hopper?'' Gold demanded. The look on his face grew angrier by the second.

Archie's jaw tightened, and he adjusted his glasses. Clearly, Gold wanted to play rough, and he wasn't going to allow himself to be bullied.

''I don't have any children, Mr. Gold. You know that.''

''Precisely!'' Gold exclaimed. '' You don't know what it is to be a parent, what it is to protect and love a child. Alona had a childhood that was troubling, yes, she had a childhood that was difficult, yes, but don't you ever, ever call my daughter 'damaged!' I won't let you or anybody else hurt her. Understand?''

Archie swallowed hard. ''You're right. You're right Mr. Gold, I'm sorry. I, I never meant to use that word. I forgot that you have a problem with -with that word. I just mean to say it could cause problems later. But, so far, she's making excellent progress.''

''Good,'' Gold said through gritted teeth, trying his best to return to the cordial gentleman he clearly was not being at the moment. He deposited his coffee cup in the waste basket by Archie's desk, but throwing it in with a lot more force than was necessary. Clearly, he was trying to make a point to Archie, who, judging by the look on his face, seemed to get it.

''Then I believe we're done here. Good day to you, Mr. Hopper.'' He placed an evil smile on his face and left Archie's office without another word.

Immediately after, Archie let out the breath he seemed to have been holding for what seemed like the longest time. He leaned back into his chair, placing his hands behind his head. Shaking his head in disbelief, he muttered,

''Oh boy. The sooner I can treat that poor woman, the better.''


End file.
